Al. Neyer Partners with ArtWorks to Bring Mural to Avondale

Al. Neyer is proud to have partnered with the community of Avondale and ArtWorks to bring a new mural to the center of Avondale that celebrates the legacy of the historic resident and Civil Rights activist, Louise Shropshire. Artworks has truly taken the initiative to “Build Pride in Real Estate” through enhancing the façades of buildings all over Greater Cincinnati and adding beauty to the communities. This strongly aligns with Al. Neyer’s core values and efforts to support the communities that we work and live in.

We invite everyone to join ArtWorks and the Avondale community on Friday, September 27th for the dedication of the mural. Additional details about the event and dedication can be found here.

About the Mural

The mural titled, A Song of Freedom, pays tribute and depicts Louise Shropshire (the central figure in white) who was an Avondale-based civil rights activist and choir leader at Greater New Hope Baptist Church. Her hymn, 'If My Jesus Wills' is credited as inspiring the iconic civil rights anthem, 'We Shall Overcome'. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., during visits to Cincinnati, would stay at the Shropshire home and Louise would often sing to him. It has been proven that Dr. King asked Louise if he could change her original lyrics "I shall overcome" to "We shall overcome", thus setting the groundwork for the popular anthem known today. This unknown legacy belongs to Cincinnati and more specifically, to the community of Avondale, and ArtWorks, with Al. Neyer and the Avondale Community is proud to shine a light on this story through public art.  The mural is by Detroit-based Tylonn Sawyer, and a team of 11 artists including 9 youth apprentices spent the summer painting the mural on the side of the newly renovated CRC.